Thursday, July 26, 2012

I know it has been a while. I go through these cycles where I either work on my blog or work on my shop. I am trying to find the balance so that I can do both. I think that I have a formula for this and hope that I can do both simultaneously as I do love writing and sharing my creations with you as well as managing my shop, Nelesc Designs.

In that last couple months, since my last post, I have been doing some serious thinking about my blog and my shop, who I am in these endeavors and what these activities say about me. Lately, I have been feeling lead to share the journey that was the catalyst for Nelesc Designs and this blog, The Reconstructed Life.

The title, The Reconstructed Life, does not solely refer to my sewing projects of wardrobe transformations and t-shirt reconstructions. I had to literally reconstruct my life after I had children, two children with autism. Its not like I never mentioned this. I did not hide it from my readers as you can see from several of my previous posts, this one being one of them. But I never really wanted to put this fact at the forefront of my blog. I meant it as a "by the way" type of thing. I didn't want this to be another autism mommy blog. I felt incredibly overwhelmed with my new found special needs mommyhood. I had inadvertingly become the poster child for The Autism Mom in many of my circles and I resented this. I was losing myself and who I was a a person, an artist, a designer, a creative, intelligent being. I wanted this blog and my shop to give me a voice. The voice of a woman, an activist, a lover of fashion, a creative being, a designer, a mom. But not an autism mom.

I love this ad because it so beautifully captures how my fashion and autism life have merged. It also drives home a very important point.

I have been living this autism mom journey for 10 years and I feel I have learned some really good lessons. Lessons I want to share with you as I continue blogging. My creative endeavors do not happen in a vacuum. My life with autism has informed my choices, from career to wardrobe. Fashion, sewing, art, these have empowered me. I hope I can be of service and empower you and also gain more insight from my readers
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So...coming up, you will see more posts about my wardrobe transformations, more tutorials, new items in my shop, posts about meanigful fashion, and yes... my journey, the journey of a Puerto Rican, fashion loving, Christian, Bronx-born and bred woman, living with two boys on the spectrum. Because it's all me and it's all good.

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About Me

Hola! Welcome to Girl Reconstructed. I screen print, sew, and redesign stuff.
I write about my garment refashions, art making musings, and creative entrepreneurship, sometimes through the lens of a special needs mom.
If you would like to send me an e-mail, please do at nellescalante9@gmail.com